Ice detector



Aug. 1, 1944. C, F SCHORN l 2,355,014

ICE DETECTOR Filed March 2l. 1942 Patented Aug.l1,1944

ICE DETECTOR cui F. scum, pen-on, Mich,

Application March 2,1, 1942, Serial No. 435,611 A 1 Claim.

The object of this invention is to detect the presence of ice anywhereand speciilcally in an air passage of an airplane carburetor, and it isintended to be located at the danger point `in what is commonly known asthe adapter of an airplane engine on the engine side of the throttle.'I'he problem is to warn the pilot that a dangerous amount of ice hasaccumulated in this adapter early enough so that he may move the'controls to admit warm air so as to avoid a crash. The applicants deviceis intended to give such a warning, but it is also adapted to operate adevice to control the valve admitting4 the warm` air to the air entranceor release an alcohol spray at a point beyond the throttle to counteractthe formation of ice and to assist in removing the ice after it hascommenced to form.

In the drawing: l

Fig. 1 shows the preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a slight modification of the detecting element.

In Fig. 1, I0 indicates a source of light, preferably electricity; I Iindicates a parabolic mirror; I2 indicates a lens cut as shown in orderto disperse the rays of light laterally through walls Il which are madeof a plastic material having a cylindrical shape, which is adapted topermit light to pass through with very little distortion, for the reasonthat the etl'e'ct of the reflector II and the method by which the lensI2 is cut is to disperse the light rays ABCD' through the transparentwall I3 almost undistorted by the walls of the cylinder I3, because therays fall normally on the serrations of the wal1s. Il indicates an airentrance or carburetor adapter'in detected on the indicator I5 becauseonly when and reected by rime ice, and follows the path ABCE of Figs. 1and 2. The light rays E strike a photoelectric cell I4 and generate asmall current of electricity therein which is Vindicated on amilliammeter I5, which is connected to the terminals'ii and I'Iofthephotoelectric cell Il. Electricity is supplied to the electriclight bulb I0, through the terminals 20 and 2| by meansv of conductors'22, 23 embedded in the cylinder I3.

The presence of ice is thus immediately ice is formed do light raysreach the photoelectric cell I4. The reading on the indicator I5 givesan indication oi the strength of the light falling onto the cell Il, andtherefore indicates to a certain degree the amount of ice on the outerwalls of the serrated plastic material. A shield I8 prevents light fromoutside the adapter I8 from striking the cell I4. The inner surface ofthe shield It is polished so as to act as a reflector to shunt straylight rays to the cell; particularly when the modification shown in Fig.2 is adopted as it is adapted to detect the formation of rime ice.

A This Fig. 2 shows a smooth outer surface to the element Il and isparticularly sensitive to the accumulation of rime ice. Fig. 1 is moreadapted to respond to the formation of clear ice.

A combination of both surfaces can, of course,

which the'ice detector is located. This adapter is cylinder I3, thelight ray is retracted by clear ice be incorporated in one device.

What 1 claim is:

An ice detecting device comprising a cylindrical transparent chamber. asource of light within said chamber, means for diverting said Vlight sothat the ,light rays normally escape through the walls of said chamber,a photoelectric cell located in said chamber and so located that lightrays diverted by ice formed on the outer walls of said transparentchamber are diverted onto said photoelectric cell.

, CARL l". BCHORN.

